Helleborus plant named &#39;EPB 12&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Helleborus  plant named ‘EPB 12’, characterized by its upright and mounding plant habit; uniform, continuous and freely flowering habit; relatively large pink-colored flowers that are held above the foliar plane on relatively long peduncles; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Helleborus×hybridus.

Cultivar denomination: ‘EPB 12’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Helleborus plant, botanically known as Helleborus×hybridus and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘EPB 12’.

The new Helleborus plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Devon, United Kingdom. The objective of the breeding program was to create new freely-flowering Helleborus plants with strong peduncles that hold numerous attractive flowers above the foliar plane.

The new Helleborus plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted by the Inventors in Devon, United Kingdom on Jan. 16, 2007 of a proprietary seedling selection of Helleborus×hybridus identified as code designation PXR-1556, as the female, or seed, parent, not patented, with a proprietary seedling selection of Helleborus×hybridus identified as code designation 5108RVT9, as the male, or pollen, parent, not patented. The new Helleborus plant was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled greenhouse environment in Devon, United Kingdom on Mar. 14, 2009.

Asexual reproduction of the new Helleborus plant by tissue culture in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier, The Netherlands since Oct. 10, 2012, has shown that the unique features of this new Helleborus plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Helleborus have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype of the new Helleborus plant may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype of the new Helleborus plant.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘EPB 12’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘EPB 12’ as a new and distinct Helleborus plant:

-   -   1. Upright and mounding plant habit.     -   2. Uniform, continuous and freely flowering habit.     -   3. Relatively large pink-colored flowers that are held above the         foliar plane on relatively long peduncles.     -   4. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Helleborus differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Helleborus are shorter than plants of the         female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Helleborus and the female parent selection         differ in flower color as plants of the female parent selection         have whitish green-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Helleborus differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Helleborus are shorter than plants of the         male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Helleborus and the male parent selection         differ in flower color as plants of the male parent selection         have purple-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Helleborus can be compared to plants of Helleborus×hybridus ‘ABCRD02’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,720. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Devon, United Kingdom, plants of the new Helleborus differed from plants of ‘ABCRD02’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Leaves of plants of the new Helleborus were shorter and more         serrated than leaves of plants of ‘ABCRD01’.     -   2. Plants of the new Helleborus were more freely flowering than         plants of ‘ABCRD01’.     -   3. Plants of the new Helleborus and ‘ABCRD01’ differed in flower         color as plants of ‘ABCRD01’ had purple-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Helleborus plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Helleborus plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘EPB 12’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flower of ‘EPB 12’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during the winter in three-liter containers in an outdoor nursery in Boijl, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Helleborus production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 0° C. to 10° C. and night temperatures ranged from −15° C. to 0° C. Plants were one year old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Helleborus hybridus ‘EPB 12’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary seedling selection of             Helleborus×hybridus identified as code designation PXR-1556,             not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary seedling selection of             Helleborus×hybridus identified as code designation 5108RVT9,             not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By tissue culture.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 15 days at             temperatures about 22° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About two             months at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fleshy, vigorous; typically white to brown             in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on             substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and             formulation, substrate temperature and physiological age of             roots. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; upright and             mounding plant habit with flowers held above the foliar             plane; moderately vigorous to vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 25 cm to 35 cm.         -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 25 cm to 35 cm.         -   Stems.—Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Luster: Shiny. Color: Close to 146B with             spots, close to 187A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Leaves arranged alternately in a basal rosette;             leaves palmately compound with three to five leaflets per             leaf.         -   Leaflet length.—About 10 cm to 15 cm.         -   Leaflet width.—About 7 cm to 12 cm.         -   Leaflet shape.—Ovate to lanceolate.         -   Leaflet apex.—Acute.         -   Leaflet base.—Acute.         -   Leaflet margin.—Serrate.         -   Leaflet texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous;             leathery.         -   Leaflet luster, upper surface.—Shiny.         -   Leaflet luster, lower surface.—Somewhat shiny.         -   Leaflet venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Leaflet color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to             137A; central spots, close to 139D. Developing leaves, lower             surface: Close to 137C overlain with close to 187A. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 139A; venation,             close to 139C, proximally, close to 187A. Fully expanded             leaves, lower surface: Close to 147A; venation, close to             137B.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 10 cm to 20 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm             to 7 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color, developing leaves, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 146A; spots, close to N186C. Color, fully             expanded leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 146A;             spots, close to N199A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower shape and habit.—Single rotate flowers arranged in             loosely branched cymes; freely flowering habit with             typically about 15 to 20 flowers developing per cyme and up             to 40 flowers developing per cyme in the second year of             growth; flowers facing outwardly and somewhat drooping.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about two             months after planting; plants flower from January until             March in the United Kingdom.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About two to three months;             flowers persistent.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 25 cm to 30 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 30 cm to 40 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1 cm to 3 cm. Diameter: About 1             cm to 2 cm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: Ground color, close to             146C; towards the margins, overlain with close to N79B;             mid-section, overlain with close to N77D.         -   Flower diameter.—About 8 cm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 2 cm to 4 cm.         -   Petals.—None observed; transformed into nectaries.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Five arranged in a single             whorl. Length: About 5 cm. Width: About 3.5 cm to 4.5 cm.             Shape: Ovate to obovate. Apex: Obtuse and occasionally             emarginate. Base: Rounded. Margin: Mostly entire. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Luster, upper             and lower surfaces: Matte. Color: When opening and fully             opened, upper surface: Close to N77B to N77D; towards the             center, close to 145C; spots, close to N77A; color does not             change with development. When opening and fully opened,             lower surface: Close to N77B to N77D; towards the center,             close to 146C; color does not change with development.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 10 cm to 15 cm. Diameter: About 5             mm to 10 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 146A; spots,             close to 187A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 4 cm to 10 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm             to 4 mm. Aspect: About 10° from peduncle axis. Strength:             Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 146A;             spots, close to 187A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About 60.             Filament length: About 1.5 cm to 1.8 cm. Filament color:             Close to 155D. Anther shape: Ovate. Anther length: About             2 mm. Anther color: Close to 4B. Pollen amount: Scarce.             Pollen color: Close to 4B. Pistils: Quantity per flower:             About five or six. Pistil length: About 2.5 cm. Stigma             shape: Club-shaped. Stigma color: Close to 4D. Style length:             About 1.5 cm. Style color: Close to N79C. Ovary color: Close             to N77B.         -   Nectaries.—Quantity per flower: About 10 to 15. Length:             About 8 mm to 10 mm. Width: About 4 mm to 6 mm. Shape:             Funnelform. Color: Close to N144C.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Helleborus. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Helleborus have been observed     to have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and     temperatures ranging from about −20° C. to about 35° C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Helleborus have not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Helleborus plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Helleborus plant named ‘EPB 12’ as illustrated and described. 